The next version of Apple’s iPad Mini could feature a high-resolution "Retina"
display and come in multiple colours, according to reports.

Apple is rumoured to be working with suppliers in Asia – including Samsung, Sharp and LG – to develop the device and ensure an adequate supply of screens, unnamed sources told the Wall Street Journal.

A Retina display would bring the new iPad Mini in line with other Apple devices, including the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and MacBook Pro. The current iPad Mini comes with a lower-resolution 132ppi screen from LG and Taiwan's AU Optronics.

“Retina” is a term coined by Apple to indicate the device has a high enough pixel density that the human eye is unable to notice pixelation at a typical viewing distance. This can vary depending on the size of the display, so an iPhone has 326 pixels per inch, for example, whereas a full-size iPad has 264 pixels per inch.

Retina displays use more power than normal resolution screens, so if the new iPad Mini does have a Retina display, it could also have reduced battery life, or bigger batteries that would make the tablet thicker and heavier.

The WSJ also reports that the size of the new iPad Mini is likely to be the same as the current 7.9-inch model, but that Apple is contemplating multiple colour back covers for the new tablet. The current version only comes in black or white.

The device is expected to launch some time in the fourth quarter of 2013, although others are predicting a March-April 2014 launch.

Despite being bitter rivals in the smartphone market, Apple and Samsung’s have long history of collaboration, and Apple relies heavily on Samsung to produce its components.

For example, the high-resolution Retina display used on the third-generation iPad was reportedly so complex to produce that only Samsung could manufacture the item.

However, Apple is keen to reduce its dependency on Samsung, hence the decision to work with Sharp and LG as well.